Family route to the Urkate waterfall from Arriola, Asparrena.
The Urkate waterfall, Urkateko urjauzia in Basque, is one of the most curious waterfalls in the province of Araba. A natural space of great beauty located in the Sierra de Urkilla, in Arriola (Asparrena), less than 10 minutes from Agurain Salvatierra. We can visit the waterfall of Urkate making a linear or circular route. You decide. Of course, although for its difficulty we can classify it as one of the family routes of Euskadi, we ask you to be very careful in the vicinity of the waterfall. Especially with children. Would you like to join us on the Urkate waterfall hike?
Urkate waterfall information.
- Reservation center: Here.
- Length: 7 km (linear route)
- Duration: 3 hours (linear route)
- Location: Urkate waterfall, Arriola, Asparrena.
Route to the Urkate waterfall.
As we have already mentioned, we can choose to make a linear or circular route. In any case, the route starts from the center of Arriola. We recommend you to take as reference the washing place that we find at the entrance of the town. Once here, we must turn right and go up the street 200 meters until we find the second of the washhouses. Next to it, we find a fence for the cattle, remember to close it after passing.
We follow the road. We go up little by little to the Collado de Ezkarzarana. Here we will find the first crossroads. Turn right, go down.
After about 120 meters we turn right again and continue downhill. We pass a Canadian pass, cross a small stream and follow the road.
At 400 meters we find the bridge over the river Malkorra. We have reached the bottom of the valley, from here it is time to go up.
We continue along the track for 1 km until we find a detour on the left. We leave the track and enter a path surrounded by oak trees. We begin to hear the sound of water. The waterfall is less than 500 meters away. There is not much left.
We continue along the dirt road until we reach the Urkate River, the same one that plunges into the void 100 meters from our location. It does not usually carry much water, but we must cross it. One of the big reasons why we recommend wearing good water shoes.
After crossing the river, about 70 meters, we find a detour on the left that leads to the Urkatu borda. Next to the main facade we will find a water tank, and to the left, entering the forest, a path. We leave the road and follow the path.
Following the trail, at 70 meters, we find one of the best viewpoints to enjoy the Urkate waterfall. Be careful, this is a natural viewpoint located next to the cliff, it is not fenced. Although we have already mentioned it, we insist again, be very careful, especially with children.
Once we have enjoyed the waterfall, we can return to the main road and make a circular route or return the same way we came. We chose the second option.
Video.
As usual in all our publications, we have created a short video to show you as real as possible what awaits you during your next adventure in the Basque Country. We hope it will be helpful. If you like this kind of videos, we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to know all the places and experiences that we recommend in Euskal Herria. We are waiting for you!
How to get there.
The best option to reach Arriola is by private transport. Although we can also get there by bus from Vitoria Gasteiz on line 4 of Álava Bus, the frequency and the route are not the best. If you opt for private transport, we recommend you to go to Agurain Salvatierra and from there to Arriola by the A-3016 and A-3012 roads. We can also use the A-3012 road passing through urban centers such as Ozaeta or Larrea. A more rural route, which allows us to enjoy the great scenery offered by the Urkilla mountain range.
Where to park.
There is no marked parking in Arriola. That said, the best option for parking is next to the church of Our Lady of the Assumption. You can also park your vehicle on the road that joins the two washing places of Arriola, on the right side. Remember that this is a very small town, so please do not leave your car in places that may disturb the neighbors.
Family routes in Euskadi.
This route is part of the routes to do with children in Euskadi. A list, which we are constantly updating. If you like to take walks with your children, we recommend you to take a look at this article frequently. We leave you some of the routes that we have liked the most.
What to see in Arriola.
Arriola is a small and charming town in the municipality of Asparrena. An urban center located in the mountain range of Urkilla, less than 30 minutes from the capital, Vitoria Gasteiz. Among all the attractions of this council they emphasize the waterfall that today we recommend to you, the parish of the Assumption and its wash houses. An urban center, which boasts of having a famous personage as Ramón Ortiz de Zárate, politician, fuerista and deputy.
What to see near the Urkate waterfall.
After the route, we recommend that you visit some of the most beautiful and important areas surrounding the town of Arriola. We leave you a brief list with some of the places that we recommend you to visit.
Guided tours and active tourism experiences.
As you already know, from TurismoVasco we offer hiking routes and guided tours anywhere in the Basque Country. We also offer different active tourism activities. Do not hesitate to ask for an estimate. In any case, if you want to know some of the experiences we offer, we recommend you to take a look at our reservation center.
Recommendations.
After the route to the Urkate waterfall, we thought it appropriate to create a section with recommendations and tips for you to enjoy this beautiful route through the Llanada Alavesa (Arabako Lautada in Basque). We hope it will be of help to you.
- Although our indications are for a linear route, it can also be circular.
- During the route it is necessary to cross 2 streams, hiking shoes are important.
- The viewpoints to see the waterfall are next to the cliff, be careful.
- It is important to carry water for hydration during the tour.
- Although most of the route is on a track, in the area we find incredible forests. We recommend you to go into them.
- We recommend carrying hiking poles, especially in winter, when mud is the main protagonist.
Photographs.
Attached are all the photos of the route to the Urkate waterfall from Arriola so that you can see each and every one of the places that caught our attention during the tour. Please note that some of the photos in this gallery are taken outside the route that we present today.
The Urkate waterfall is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Araba. A place that we recommend you to visit in every trip to Euskadi. If you have any questions, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find below these lines to send them to us. We will try to respond as soon as possible. You can also send us your opinion about this tour. Ondo pasa!
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